Brownstone sign with the text "Welcome to Historic Portland"

Welcome to Historic Portland sign. It is made of Portland brownstone and located at the entrance to town as vehicles exit the Arrigoni Bridge. – By Bob McDougall. In copyright, used with permission.

Portland is located in Middlesex County in south-central Connecticut at a big bend on the east side of the Connecticut River. Originally the home of Wangunk Native Americans, Portland was settled by Europeans in 1692. The area was known by many names over the recent centuries, including Mattabesset, Middletown, East Middletown, Chatham, and finally the Town of Portland, incorporated in 1841.  

Defined by its relation to the Connecticut River, Portland is known for its brownstone quarries located along the Connecticut River, shipbuilding, and agricultural products, including shade-grown tobacco. Portland brownstone was used to build houses in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Boston, and San Francisco, Hartford’s Old State House, Wesleyan University campus buildings, and monuments and gravestones throughout the region. The town includes part of the Meshomasic State Forest, the first state forest in Connecticut. Portland is currently home to many golf courses and driving ranges, manufacturing and health care facilities, marinas, and the Brownstone Adventure Sports Park, located in the brownstone quarries. 

This summary was created in collaboration with the Portland Historical Society. 

Last updated: July 16, 2025

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“2025 Town Profile: Portland, Connecticut.” Connecticut Town Profiles. https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/cerc-pdfs/2025/Portland.pdf.
“Treasures from the Portland Library.” Connecticut State Library. https://hdl.handle.net/11134/3953132.
“Voices of Portland | Podcast.” Town of Portland. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaPGvev0BT8gQWcQ0FOhta54D957GJTSp.
“Portland Historical Society.” http://portlandhistsoc.com/.
“WPA Architectural Survey, 1934-1937 (RG 033): Portland, Connecticut.” Connecticut State Library. https://hdl.handle.net/11134/3931357.
Donlan, H. F. 1896. The Middletown Tribune Souvenir Edition an Illustrated and Descriptive Exposition of Middletown, Portland, Cromwell, East Berlin, and Higganum. Middletown,  CT: E.P. Bigelow. https://archive.org/stream/middletowntribun00donl#page/n5/mode/2up.
“Map - Higganum and Portland - Town and City Atlas of the State of Connecticut.” 1893. https://flic.kr/p/bK5k9K (May 13, 2015).
Beers, F. W. 1874. County Atlas of Middlesex, Connecticut: From Actual Surveys. New York, NY: F.W. Beers & Company. http://archive.org/stream/countyatlasofmiddlesexct00newy/uconn_magic_ocm10743298#page/n5/mode/2up.
Beers, J.B., & Company, and Henry Whittemore. 1884. History of Middlesex County, Connecticut, with Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men. New York, NY: J.B. Beers & Company. http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924097556595#page/n7/mode/2up.
Hall, Catherine. 1890. The Leading Business Men of Middletown, Portland, Durham and Middlefield. Boston, MA: Mercantile Publishing Company. http://www.archive.org/stream/leadingbusinessm00hall#page/n3/mode/2up.